Gun-related incidents are rare on Indiana college campuses but not unheard of.
Authorities have responded to reports of guns on Indiana campuses at least a half dozen times in the past four years.
Only one case involved a shooting — but every case triggered a university alert or lockdown order.
Ball State
Ball State University has seen three incidents of reports of guns on or near campus in the past four years, including Thursday night’s incident involving a report of a man with a gun near DeHority and Woodworth complexes.
On Nov. 15, 2013, a report of a gun came in at the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center, prompting authorities to lock down most of campus.
At least six different police forces, including Indiana State Police and Homeland Security, responded and searched the building for three hours following reports of someone shouting “gun” in the Health and Physical Activity Building.
No suspect was found. Students were locked in the facility and evacuated in police-escorted groups. Residence halls were also secured during the suspect search.
During the lockdown, an Eaton Police Department officer accidentally fired his rifle into the street, which panicked bystanders but caused no injuries.
More recently, two early-morning reports of shots fired just a couple blocks from campus prompted a university alert on Aug. 28.
The first report occurred at the Village Pantry near University and Dill streets at about 3 a.m. Shortly after, more gunfire was reported nearby.
No one was injured in the “drive-by” style shootings. No arrests have been made in either incident.
Purdue
On Jan. 21, 2014, a Purdue student fatally shot and stabbed a teaching assistant in a campus building.
Cody Cousins of Centerville, Ohio, walked into the Electrical Engineering Building and killed senior electrical engineering student Andrew Boldt.
Cousins was sentenced to 65 years in prison in September 2014. He later killed himself.
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
In March 2013, a report of a man with a gun prompted a campus-wide alert for four hours. No weapon or suspect was found.
The campus did not enter an official lockdown and students weren’t stopped from entering or leaving campus.
Indiana State University
Indiana State University in Terre Haute sent out an alert about a man possibly carrying a gun on campus in October 2015. No suspect was identified.
Indiana University Southeast
IU Southeast entered lockdown in September 2014 following a report of a possible weapon on campus. The university issued a remain-in-place alert, but the reported weapon turned out to be an umbrella.
Sources: The Associated Press
Gun scare impacts campus Thursday night
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Main page: Gun scare causes lockdown, terror Students react to lockdown, university notification system
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